


the rain can't wash all your sins away

by rocket_rach



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman and Robin (Comics)
Genre: Gen, Jason Todd Effect, Jason's deathversary, The Joker's Terrible Plans, empty warehouses, old batmobiles, sneaking out of the cave in a storm to help dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2020-01-13 01:06:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18458321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rocket_rach/pseuds/rocket_rach
Summary: for day 6 of Dick and Dami week - rainits the anniversary of jason todd's death, arkham went to hell in a handbasket, batman grounded nightwing and robin and there's only so many times you can do a quadruple somersault before you have to do something else





	the rain can't wash all your sins away

The mood in the cave was solemn, to say the least. Batman had given one directive at the beginning of the night, a simple “Do not leave the cave under any circumstance. If I see that you do, I’ll take your mask.”

He’d taken masks before, which was why Dick was trying his best to keep his little brother entertained. Sparring on the mats had quickly grown old to the 13-year-old, so they switched to lifting, which grew old as well. Dick took him inside of the dinosaur and showed him where he kept all his own trophies that Bruce had no idea about. Damian had then led Dick to his own corner of the cave, where Damian also housed some trophies. They compared them for a while, but even comparing Riddler’s staffs got old after a while.

The boys finally drifted to the bars that had been a staple in the cave since Dick’s first appearance as the boy wonder. Dick placed his hands on Damian’s core, guiding him through the rotations that would allow him to get enough speed for the quadruple somersault.

“I know the mechanics of it, Grayson,” Damian grumbled as Dick helped him spin around the bar. “Mother taught me how.”

“Yeah,” he agreed as he stepped back. “Then go to the higher bar.”

Damian hopped off and stuck his chin out proudly. He walked back to the bag of chalk, dipping his hands into it and then clapping and rubbing as Dick had shown him. Damian took a deep breath, exhaled, and sprinting towards the bars. With a sturdy smack, his hands reached their target. Damian began spinning around the bar, building up the great momentum he’d already gained from his run, and then jumped.

Small hands found their second target, working in tandem with the rest of his body to continue to build. Dick had to admit, the kid would have made a great circus performer. His trained eyes watched as Damian bent his body into the motions, feeling the speed and aware of the force he needed to accomplish that famed aerial somersault.

He realized as Damian lifted off, that he wasn’t going to get enough air on the fourth somersault. Visions of Damian’s neck landing on the floor, breaking, paralyzing him or killing him flashed through his mind. Dick dove as a peal of thunder shook the cave. 

Damian’s neck landed on Dick’s core. He coughed as his arms wound around his little brother. Said little brother began cursing in every language he knew.

“I had it!” He nearly yowled.

“For-forgot to raise the bar,” Dick coughed, trying to trap the tiny hands that were either trying to smack or punch him. “Woulda broken your neck, little wing.”

“Nightwing, Robin. Report,” Batman’s baritone cut through the cave. In a flash, both boys were up and running to the computer.

“Still in the cave, B,” Dick answered, clamping a hand over his brother’s mouth before he could mouth off. “What’s the sitch?”

“Scarecrow, Mr. Freeze, Harley, Grundy, and Penguin are all back in Arkham. Joker is the only one unaccounted for. I need you both to stay there until I say otherwise; understood?”

Damian managed to yank his brother’s hand off his face. “You’re going to face the Joker _by yourself_?”

“I’ve done it before,” Batman replied coolly.

“Yeah. B, he’s got a point. You’re always a little more… on edge on this night. Especially where Joker is concerned. Are you sure you don’t want us to call Supes at least? I could try Wonder Woman, too. Just please,” he swallowed, his eyes going to Jason’s memorial case. “Don’t go after him by yourself tonight.”

“Stay in the cave.”

Damian and Dick shook their heads as the comm line disconnected. For a moment, each son was quiet. Then they each went to wear the spirit gum and masks were stashed. Once identities were made secret enough, they walked to the Batmobile garage.

“We have enough options,” Dick thought, his eyes roving over all the generations of the Batmobiles. “the problem is the tech inside.”

“Once we find father, we can just detonate it.”

“Would you detonate the Batmobile I designed?” Dick asked, pointing towards the black car that resembled the horrible love-child of a bat and an elephant. Damian just looked rather unimpressed.

“I might.”

“I’d like you to design a better Batmobile,” Dick grumbled as they began climbing down towards the cars. “I had the coolest design. I was just and continued to be surrounded by Wayne’s. Anyway, I think this one will work.”

The boys stared at the two-door coupe that had previously been a vintage car, until Bruce had returned from his years abroad. They circled it, noting the lack of body armor, self defense systems, and most importantly, the lack of any computer technology that could potentially track their escape. The boys got in and buckled in, then the car purred to life and left the cave at a much slower acceleration than they were used to.

The ride into Gotham was… tense, to say the least. 16 years ago, that night, Jason Todd had died in Ethiopia. This night, as well as the night Bruce’s parents died, was one of the most violent nights for Batman. Usually, the Caped Crusader would take his ragtag team of vigilantes out to watch him, but most years the entirety of Arkham’s Deadliest didn’t escape. The boys had consented to being benched, only because it was painfully obvious how _afraid_ Bruce was by this turn of events. But they refused to stay in the cave if there was even a chance that Batman would finally cross that line. With that thought taking the fronts of their minds, they continued speeding into the bowels of Gotham City.

The police radio made it easy for them to find a block where the Joker had been spotted. The rain that had nearly obscured their view all the way in had picked up into a steady downpour, making it harder for them to truly track the clown. They rounded the corner, reaching an old warehouse that was slated for demolition within the next few months. A Joker sized hole had been cut in the wire fencing. Nightwing and Robin gave chase, boots splashing in the gutter water.

The warehouse was filled with bags of trash, broken support beams, and rats seeking shelter from the storm outside. Nightwing signaled to Robin, and the Boy Wonder flew into the rafters while Nightwing paced through the garbage.

“Oh, I just _knew_ Batsy was going to give me a special gift this year!” The Joker’s cracking voice boomed. “Two Robins for the price of one? I was getting concerned when fifteen years passed and he didn’t even send a card.”

Dick felt his lips curling into a snarl as anger rose in his chest. The emptiness of the building, coupled with the rain, made pinpointing Joker’s location a major pain in the ass. He caught sight, albeit briefly, of Damian stalking through the shadows above. He was still safe.

“You know what’s the best about you rodent themed morons?” The Joker continued. 

Nightwing pivoted, eyes narrowing. He was close. He could have sworn that he could smell the rotting flesh of the Clown Prince of Gotham. His escrima dropped into his hands, powerpacks activated and sparking.

“It’s that you never _learn_ ,” The Joker snarled into his ear. That’s when he brought the crowbar down onto Dick’s head.

Robin fell from the rafters, and the skies broke open.

**Author's Note:**

> this is part one! part two will finish up with tomorrow's prompt :))))


End file.
